 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: timg
Date: 2008-09-08 12:17
After more than a year of playing, I'm still unsure how to judge the condition of a reed. If there's visible damage to the tip then it's obviously destined for the circular filing cabinet under the desk. But otherwise, how do you know when a reed is worn out?
Digging through the BBoard archives I find people claiming reed lifetimes of months or even more, but they don't say how many hours of playing time that corresponds to.
With some older reeds I find myself having to work very hard to get a good sound. I need to voice the note just right (which is probably not a bad exercise in itself), whereas a newer reed is more tolerant. However, with my limited experience this is rather difficult to judge: to me a new un-broken-in reed may be slightly too stiff, giving the same airy un-resonant feeling as a worn-out reed. Or it may be that the reed is perfectly ok, but my voicing or support is off on that particular day.
Is there a more systematic way to know when to persevere, and when to reach for a new slice of cane?
(I'm using Vandoren trad. #3s on an M30 mouthpiece, by the way)
-Tim
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-09-08 13:18
It's easy. When the reed doesn't sound or feel good anymore it's no longer good. One day, one week, one hour, one month, it's not a big secret. It's that simple. ESP www.peabody.jhu.edu/457 Listen to a little Mozart, on a good reed
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-09-09 11:42
Put the reed flat on a table (glass preferred) and see if it's truly flat. To do that you put a finger on both edges (not at the tip, but at the center part) and see if it rocks. If the reed is flat it won't rock, but if the reed has warped then the reed will rock - it won't work very well if the reed isn't flat.
You can also look in the light at a reed and if it looks like the fibers are broken down (the fibers get a permed look to them) the reed has most likely gone bad.
As Ed said - if it works it works, if it doesn't than ditch it.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: rvazquez
Date: 2008-09-09 17:46
All:
I just have to ask about this method to test if a reed is warped. If you are not able to feel the reed "rock", does that mean the reed is not warped or that the reed is not *severely warped*? I don't find that this method yields great results. I prefer wetting the entire lay of the reed and looking at the spots which are not in contact with the glass. I know, I have read other opinions on the matter on this list but I have to say that I have not met a piece of cane that doesn’t warp. I have come in contact with cane which warps less though.
Anyway, there are a lot of characteristics which will indicate that the reed should be retired and in some cases clipped slightly to extend its life. The reed all of the sudden begins to squeak, it starts to play a little flat, the reed becomes too soft. The previous are some of the signs alerting you that the reed may be on it’s way out.
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Ronald V. Vazquez
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-09-09 18:34
Hi Ron!
Sometimes it isn't warped from side to side but from tip to end.
When either one occurs to me it's time to change reeds. Taking wood off of the bottom of the reed in an attempt to unwarp it doesn't typically yield the sound that I'm looking for.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-09-09 18:55
Ronald, try this method.
Even though my clarinet reeds "never" warp, that is they always seal on the mouthpiece, I do test it sometimes. Because I treat them differently my bass clarinet reeds do warp occasionally because they’re larger.
With the reed on the mouthpiece I block off the bore with my hand and suck out the air thru the tip. This creates a vacuum if the reed is sealing, not warped. It will make a popping sound soon after you remove your hand as the reed comes back to its natural position. If you can't create a vacuum it's because there's a leak. You can then raise the ligature higher and make it very tight to determine if it's a big or small leak. On my bass that often solves the problem, at least temporarily. As I said, my clarinet reeds never warp so I don't have to do that. In short this is what I do.
I seal the pores on the flat side of the reed only; I never soak a reed for more then a few seconds, and never, never let the bottom half by the bark get wet. Then I keep them in a Reed Vitalizer, #58, and always cap the mouthpiece when not in use. Before the Vitalizer was invented I used a dampit in a sealed environment that breathed. The reason a reed warps is because any wood going from wet to dry will change so the less material that gets wet the less chance it will warp. Humidity control keeps it stable. Also, when breaking them in let them dry flat side up so they dry equally. ESP www.peabody.jhu.edu/457 Listen to a little Mozart
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-09-10 12:24
David, I agree with you about reeds that warp from end to end, but must respectfully disagree about reeds that bow from side to side, as long as we're only talking about reeds sized for soprano clarinet. My clarinet reeds often warp that way as they dry, and sometimes warp that way the first time I use them. Often such a reed will flatten right out when I moisten it and put it back on the mouthpiece. If the reed flattens on the mouthpiece, usually that means it's still good. Good enough for me, anyhow: I can't tell the difference between those reeds and the ones that stay flat in the storage case -- but maybe that means I'm not particular enough.
Some (but not all) of the alto sax and even tenor sax reeds that warp also flatten during playing and remain good. It's a different story with the larger, thicker reeds I use for contra-alto clarinet (I use baritone sax reeds on contra-alto) and bass sax. If those warp significantly in either direction, they won't flatten on the mouthpiece and they're goners.
In general, I judge reeds according to Duke Ellington's famous dictum about music: "If it sounds good, it is good."
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2008-09-10 12:24)
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Author: rvazquez
Date: 2008-09-10 14:01
Lelia:
As my regular job usually doesn't leave much time for much else, I just watch the threads on this list without any intervention. I just read your post and absolutely had to reply to it. Your use of Ellington's dictum in this case is entirely misleading to the young [or older...] clarinetists on this list. The following happened to me just last night. A clear case of making a bad choice.
I had a full day at work. Due to the fact that "lately, my bullets are counted...", I did not practice during my lunch break as I usually do, because I was scheduled to sub for a friend with the NIH Philharmonia. Well, I was at the rehearsal hall and to my surprise, I didn't bring my "good reeds", only some new reeds I have been working on. I nervously went through a few and decided to play a reed with less than optimal response but since it "sounded soooo good", I thought to myself that since I was playing 2nd clarinet, I could make it work. Yes, playing this good-sounding reed was worth the risk. Now, you all know the place, Johannes Brahms Symphony number 2, op. 73 during the fourth movement. Yes indeed, you guessed right, bar 65... My friends, my carelessness paid off. I am sure the squeak was heard for miles.
A good sounding reed is not enough... This is part of the dilemma we face, finding a reed that has all the good attributes: sound, good response, lasting performance... Don't ever choose a reed just on the basis of good sound.
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Ronald V. Vazquez
Post Edited (2008-09-10 14:07)
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